Circuit interrupter



w. E. MCCOY CIRCUIT -INTERRUPTER Filed April 14. 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 wlTNEssEs: INVENTOR Oct. 16, 1928.

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W. E. MCCOY CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER Filed April 14. 1920 2 Sheets-Shet 2 lllnmnllllll BYv if Patented Get. 16, 1928.

e interrupters.

The object of my invention is to provide a umrsof STATES wnmfn. xcco'z, or Nnw Yoan, N. Y., estenos lro wnsrnrenousi: morale e muncrunme comm, A coaromrxou vor PnNNsYLvaNm.

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My invention relates to latching devices 'and particularly to means for latching circuit device of the above indicated character `in which one or more latch members shall be s o formed and related to holding and held members that are biased apart wlth considerable force as to receive only relatively-small component forces of the total latching load,` thereby facilitating the releasing operations and requiring only a relatively-small releasin effort.

- practicing my invention, I provide a -hollow member having oppositely-disposed openings leading from an intermediate portion .thereof '1n Which holding members are disposed and--yieldably attached to the hol- *interrupter and reduces the 'amount of 9 that supports the ta low member. A bifurcated member, adapt- .ed to embrace thehollow member, has portions for positioning opposite the openlngs to receive the holding members. vA resiliently-biased plunger is so formed and ofsuch different diameters as to move the holding members into and out of engagement with the bifurcated member. lThe holding members areso positioned as to receive only a` relatively-small portion of the total latching load and, in turn, are so related to a releasing vmember as to require ya relatively small amount of-releasing effort. 'This facilitates and ensures relatively-quick operation of the wear of the engagin parts.

Figure 1' of t e accompanying drawings is a side elevational view of an interrupter embodying my invention, showin the inter- `rupter in its closed position; Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views of the operating mechanism of the interrupter in the open and reset ositions, respectively ,FiguiA is an enlar e de- '.tail, side sectional view of a latch mec anism embodying my invention, and Fig. 5 is a view taken along the line V--V of Fi 4'. A circuit interrupter 1 embodies aV tank 2, terminals 3, a bar or beam 4 that supports bridging contact terminal members (not shown) within the tank 2 and a link 5 pivotally connected, at one end, to a bracket 6 on the bar'4 and, at the other end, to a lever 7 The lever 7 lis pivoted, a pin 8, to a bracket 2 and issupported on a switchboard panel 10 or other suitable device. A bell-crank lever 11, having a stop portion 12 for engagementwith a lower porconstitute therewith a compound tion o f the bracket 9, is pivotally mounted, ,bya pm 13, on the bracket 9, and is operativeand 18 are dis osed, respectively, at the outer `end of the bel -crank lever 11 and on the up- 'f per part of a shell or casing of .a trip ing `magnet 19 disposed at the lower end o the plate 16. The latching device 17 is' adapted to latch the levers 11 and 15 together, as

shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and the latching device 18 1s adaptedto hold the lever 15. vEach of `the latching. devices 17 and 18 comdisposed substantially in the plane of operation of the\levers 11 and 15, that is `tapered at its lower portion 22 and has an a erture 23 leading therefrom. Oppositel -disposed openings 24 communicate with t e central bore 21 at the ends of channels or Doves 25 in the sides ofthe portion 20. Ba s 26, 'elnployed as the latching elements in the latch-'- mgdevices 17 and 18, are disposed in the openings 24 and are attached to yieldable members or wires 27 that are disposed inthe ooves 25 and attached to the portions 20 y screws 28. The balls 26are thus freely suspended and normall biased inwardly in the openings 24. A u'nger 29, havin an enlarged portion 30 ofPslightly-smaller diameter than the bore 21, a ca m surface ortion 31 and a portion 32 of relatively smal diameter, is disposed in the bore 21. A plunger' X33, having a shank portion 34 and ahead portion 35, is disposed in the bore21 with the head portion 35 engaging a spring 36 that explate 37 on the portion 20.

A diagonally-inclined sleeve 38, disposed adjacent -to the upper end of the plate 16,A

-prises a portion 20 having a central bore 2.1,

. tends to one -end ofthe plunger 29. The

,shank 34 projects through a cap or cover serves as a bearing and support for a looselymounted, headed pin '39 that is revented from withdrawal therefrom, in e 'closed position of the interruptor, bv a cotter piu 40. The head of the pin 39 is -in the path of movement of the plunger 33 of thelatch 17.

as shown in Fig. 1, a transverse web portion 46 of the lever 15 holds the plunger 34 of the latch 18 against the spring' 36 which, in turn, presses against the plunger 29. This assists in maintaining the enlarged portion 30 of the plunger 29 in position between the balls 26` that are, thereby, held at their outer positions, partially in openings 47 in the lever 15 that register with the openings 24 in the portion 20 of the latch 18.

The lever 15, being biased in the counterclockwise direction, as viewed inthe drawings, by the weight of the beam 4 and the parts suspended therefrom, impinges up; wardly against each of the balls 26, thus eX- erting a diagonal force through the balls to the portion-20 at the upper edges of the ope-nings 24. The construction and operation of the latches 17 and 18 are similar.

The smaller portion 32 ofthe plunger 29 of the latch 17 is, in the closed position of the interrupter, positioned in alignment with an actuating rod 48 of the magnet 19. When the magnet 19 is energized to actuate the rod 48 upwardly, the plunger29 is raised to remove the portion 30 thereof from between the balls 26 which, thus released, move in- Wardly to release the bell-crank lever 11.

This opens the interrupter, and the parts of the operating mechanism assume the positions indicated in Fig. 2. In theopen position of the interrupter, the plunger 33 of the latch 17 engages and presses the pin 39 in the sleeve 38 to a position against the screw 43.

An inclined channel or bore 49, below the portion 2() of the latch 18, into which the portion 32 of the plunger 29 of the latch 18 projects, is adapted to receive a rod 50 havinga beveled end portion 51, a cut-away portion 52 and an outer or operating end 53. A set screw 54, in an upper portion 55 of the frame or casing of the magnet 19, extends into the channel 49 and, in co-operation with the rod 50, at the ends of its cut-away portion 52, prevents the withdrawal of the rod from the channel.

To release the lever 15, either to manually open the interrupter or to move the llever 15 to its reset position after the interruptor has been electrically tripped, the rod 50 is pressed inwardly in the channel 49. This engages the beveled portion 51 of the rod 50 and the smaller portion 32 of the plunger 29 to release the latch, as above described.

When the lever 15 is moved toward its reset position` as shown in Fig. 3, the reset actuating member 45 thereon engages the lug 44 on the lever 41. This turns the lever 41 in a clockwise direction to press against the pin 39, which movement depresses the plunger 33 of the latch 17 to move the plunger 29, through the spring 36, to a position between the balls 26 that are, thereby, moved outwardly to latching engagement with the lever 15. When thus latched, the levers 11 and 15 may be moved downwardly to close the interrupter and to be held by the latch 18. Y

The plungers 29 thus' serve as ultimate holding or key members which hold only a relatively-small portion of the main holding and latching load. This greatly facilitates the operation, reduces the wear of the parts and increases the speed of operation of the interrupter.

While I have shown and described a particular form. of my invent-ion, changes may be effected therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with two members relatively movable in parallel planes, of a latching device comprising a cam member and a latching element carried by one of said members the latching element being adapted to be moved into the path of travel of the other of said members, and an actuating member for the latching device adapted to operate the cam member to move the latching element into engagement with the second movable member, which second movable member may be rendered inoperative upon withdrawal of the actuating member.

2. The combination with relatively'movable/members, of a latching device for holding said members with respect to each other, a second latching device for holding both of said relatively movable members when they are latched together by said first latching device, means for releasing said latches, a resetting device for said first latching device disposed independently of all of said members and devices, and means on one of said relatively movable members for actuating said resetting device.

3. The combination with two relatively movable members, of a pair of spherical latching members yieldingly supported by one of said members in inoperatlve position and a yieldingly supported camming member adapted to be passed between the spherical members to move them into the path of travel of the other movable member, a distance less than the radius of said spherical members, whereby the spherical members may be'returned to inoperative position by movement of the said second relatively movable member, upon withdrawal of the camming member.

4. The combination with two members relatively movable in parallel planes, of a locking element 4yieldingly` supported in inoperative position adapted to interlock said members in a deiinite relation, actuating means for moving the locking element into operative-position,`

erative position :by one of said members, and a cam member and actuating means carried by said member for moving the locking element. into operative position with respect to the other movable member, the actuating means being adapted to koperate the cam member whereby, upon relative movement of the said members, the said locking element is movedfinto inoperative position, upon withdrawal of the actuating means.

' 6. A latching device comprising relatively movable members one of which has an ,apertured portion and the other of which has 'a bifurcated portion to embrace said apertured portion, said apertured member having auX- iliary openings leading oppositely toward said bifurcated portion,`a holding member in each of said auxiliary openings for coy 3.0 operation with said bifurcated portion, a

by one of said members andyieldable suspension member securing each of said holding members in position, d

plunger having portions of different diame-l ters and an intermediate tapered portion disposed in said apertured member between said holding members, a resilient member for biasing said plunger, 'a second plunger for actuating said first plunger through said resilient member and a member for moving said rst plunger against the action of said resilient member.

7 The combination with two relativelymovable members, of a latching element yieldingly supported by one of said members in inoperative position, a cam surface carried on the last said member adapted to operate the said late hing element, means adjacent to the last said member to cause the said cam surface to move the latching element into operative position, actuating means on the other of said members for operating the first said means when the said members are adjacent one another, and additional means operable to 'move the cam surface to release the said latchingy element after the members have been moved to a predetermined position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 1st day of April, 1920.

WALTER E. MCCOY. 

